


An Old Legend

by Fiddlerinthewoods



Series: Linked Universe [38]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda (Video Game 1986), Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Genre: Caves, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Master Sword (Legend of Zelda), Swords, old man legend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:35:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23913943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiddlerinthewoods/pseuds/Fiddlerinthewoods
Summary: The first time he met the Old Man, it was inside a cave.
Relationships: Hyrule & Legend (Linked Universe), Link & Old Man (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Linked Universe [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1489673
Comments: 4
Kudos: 181





	An Old Legend

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Old Man](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23881801) by [Jc27](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jc27/pseuds/Jc27). 



> I do not own Linked Universe or Legend of Zelda.
> 
> Enjoy!

The first time he met the Old Man, it was inside a cave. There was nothing remarkable about the Old Man, he wore a red cloak with a long white beard. Wrinkles decorated his face, yet his blue eyes didn’t fade through the years. As Link stepped into the torch-lit cave, a nostalgic smile graced his lips.

“It’s dangerous to go alone,” he said. “Take this.”

Link was given his first sword. As he looked at his weapon, the Old Man continued, “Now go, Hero. Go and save Hyrule.”

As he carefully lowered his new sword, Link wondered, “Why do you call me Hero, Old Man? I haven’t done anything heroic.”

“You will,” the Old Man said, a sparkle in his eyes. “I can tell that you will do great things, Hero. During this time of crisis and terror, you have stepped forward to help. That is what makes you a Hero. You’ll heal this world, and you _will_ succeed. You’re the Hero of Hyrule, Link.”

Link lowered his gaze. “But… how do you know that?”

“You have the Spirit of the Hero, Link,” the Old Man said. “This isn’t something one sees, but what one _feels_. I know that you will do the right thing. Now go, Hero. You have a kingdom to save!”

* * *

“Old Man,” Link said as he stumbled across him in a different cave, “why do you give me these weapons?” In his grip was the White Sword.

A slight smile appeared on the Old Man’s face. “I can tell that you’re growing stronger, Link. You’ll need this sword to defeat stronger enemies.”

“But, Old Man, where do you get these weapons?”

“You see, Link,” he said, “that, in itself, is a long story. A legend, you might say. Once, I was a traveller, much like you. But I am retired—I have no need of these tools.”

“You travelled?” Link asked, a wonder in his eyes. “But I never see people out of the towns! I’ve actually only seen you and the Old Woman for the last few months…”

The Old Man chuckled. “This was a long time ago, Hero. Decades before your era. But it’s true, I once fought monsters with the same vigor as you. There isn’t enough time for me to retell them all for you, but I will one day. Someday in the future.”

Link looked at the White Sword in his hand. “Old Man… what if I’m not enough to defeat Ganon? I’m only one person.”

A fury unlike anything Link had seen from the Old Man lit his eyes. “Don’t you _dare_ talk down about yourself! You are the Hero—you are stronger than anyone I know. I know slayers of Gods, Deities, Demons, and Calamities—yet you are stronger than them all.”

His eyes softened as he looked down at Link. “You’re never alone, Link. Remember this. I’m with you; _we_ are with you. In your deepest need, we’ll be with you—maybe not in body, but in Spirit. You don’t know of the Courage you hold, Link.

“A dear friend of mine once told me that a single man with enough will and courage can defeat an entire army,” he said. “Never look down on yourself before you’ve reached your full potential.”

Link stared up at the Old Man for a moment. Silence filled the cave. “…I don’t think I have enough courage to defeat Ganon alone.”

The Old Man smiled at him. “You have more Courage than you realise.”

* * *

Underneath the cemetery, the Old Man waited. He didn’t have to wait long before the grave above was being pushed away. Link walked down the steps and stopped when he saw the familiar white beard and red cloak.

“Young Hero,” he said, “you have grown immensely through your adventure. I believe you are strong enough for this final weapon.” Standing up, his joints cracking in protest, the Old Man turned and grabbed the familiar sword from the pedestal behind him.

The first time he had seen this sword was when he meet the Hero it belonged to. It was sharp, silver, with a silver and red encrusted hilt. The Hero treated the sword as a child, and so the Old Man did the same. Through their travels, he saw how the Hero cleaned and treated his sword and so, decades later, the sword looked as new as it when he first saw it.

In retrospect, it was newer than when he first saw it.

“Take this blade,” he said, revealing the sword to Link, “and treat it with love. There is nothing more precious in this world than the care one can have for their weapon. If you treat your sword correctly, it will never fail you in battle. Take my wisdom with you through your travels.”

Link timidly reached out and grasped the sword by the hilt. As he held the sword in front of him, a smile gracing his lips, the Old Man couldn’t help but smile as well. He looked almost exactly like how he remember him. The only thing that was different was his lack of pants—something he wished he learned decades ago in order to torment him about it.

“Don’t you have a demon-pig to battle, or what?” he wondered, jokingly. “If I were you, I would hurry up and go out there. The longer you spend here, the longer until Hyrule is free.”

Cheeks blushing, Link lowered his Magical Sword. “Right…! Thank you. Sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologise for, young Hero,” he sincerely said. “You haven’t done anything wrong at all. Though, I would get a move on if I were you.”

Nodding vehemently, Link sheathed his sword and left the cave.

The Old Man sat back down on the ground. He had no more swords to give Link. Well… memories flashed through his mind of another time, another place. Nine men all tied together by the Spirit of the Hero, and by the Blade of Evil’s Bane. Link wouldn’t need the Master Sword for Ganon, though.

Even if Link needed it, the Old Man doubted that she would’ve kept at full power through the years.

Try as she might, the Master Sword in their timeline wasn’t as powerful as the Master Sword he used with the nine men. Even being stronger than a normal sword wouldn’t do anything if Link needed to stop Ganon at his ultimate power.

This was the very rare moment when the Old Man thanked Hylia that Ganon wasn’t at his full power. He didn’t thank Hylia much, She knew what She put him through. His resentment wasn’t without reason. But he was thankful that Link—the young Hero—the soon-to-be Hero of Hyrule didn’t need the Master Sword to defeat Ganon.

Leaning against the cave’s wall, the Old Man closed his eyes. He was just going to rest before packing up and heading to the towns. There was job he would need to do.

All this moving around wasn’t good for his joints, but he had a job. Link needed to learn his spells from _someone,_ and he was sure that he was the only one who knew of them. Of course, the Old Man couldn’t preform the spells himself, but he knew how to show Link how.

Time travel was tricky business, after all.

* * *

“To think that after your two victories, you’ve come back to visit me, eh, Hero?” The Old Man sat in the cave he first met the younger Link. “I would think you’d be too busy to remember me.”

“Old Man,” Link said, “you’re the first person I met on my journeys. You gave me my first sword. It would be hard to forget you.”

The Old Man chuckled, “Good! Good! You’ve kept your memory. I wonder… still getting lost?”

Link blushed before turning away. “No!”

“I’m only joking, Hero,” the Old Man said. “Nothing more, nothing less. Though, you need to figure out how to read a map. But,” he gestured for Link to come over, “tell me your ills, young Hero. I know you didn’t come for a simple visit.”

Link sat down beside him, both their backs to the wall. “I… don’t know what to do anymore, Old Man. I’ve defeated Ganon, twice, but my kingdom still lays in ruin. Monsters hunt me for my blood, even going as far as designing themselves as Hylians to get it! Both Zeldas are free and awoken, but… everything isn’t how I thought…”

“Well,” the Old Man said, attentively listening, “how did you think everything would be?”

“I… don’t know. Not _this,_ ” Link said, vaguely gesturing. “I thought that when Ganon was defeated, we could start building society to be how the legends told of it. Though… I don’t even remember how they went anymore. But now… I’m terrified to go into town. Anyone I meet could be one of the Eyes of Ganon. People would look at me and see _me_ instead of the Hero they deserve…”

The Old Man stroked his beard. “And what Hero do you believe they deserve, then, if not you?”

Link curled up and rested his chin on his arms. “Someone strong, someone powerful, someone able to look evil in the eye and not give up. I’m… not that. I did what was right, but anyone could’ve.”

“But anyone _didn’t,_ ” the Old Man said. “Anyone could’ve fought Ganon and freed Zelda, but they didn’t. _You_ did. Link, you’re stronger than you even know.”

Link scoffed, “I doubt that.”

Furrowing his brow in thought, the Old Man stood. “Come on, boy. Follow me.”

“What?” Link stood and followed him. “Where’re you taking me?”

The Old Man looked at Link with a smirk that would grow familiar in the future. “It’s a secret. Now, come on, let me tell you a few of my stories on the way.”

“But it’s dangerous!” Link ran in front of the Old Man. “There’s monsters outside!”

The Old Man chuckled, “And there once were monsters in here. But they’re gone now. Young Hero, I know how to fight—and I have you, the Hero of Hyrule, to protect me. The walk isn’t far. Now, come, let me tell you of the stories of my youth.”

Walking beside him, Link wondered, “What stories?”

“Well,” the Old Man said, “I can tell you of how Hyrule once was, during my era. You see, Hyrule was a flourishing kingdom, there were towns larger than all of your towns combined—and that was just Kakariko…”

* * *

“What… is this?”

“This, young Hero, is the most powerful sword in existence. She goes by many names: the Blade of Evil’s Bane, the Legendary Sword, the Sword of Legends, the Sword that Seals the Darkness, the Sacred Sword… the Master Sword.” He sighed. “I know she doesn’t look like much, right now, but she is the sword of the Hero.”

Standing alone in a destroyed forest, carnage and rotting wood surrounding, the blue sword was as elegant as when the Old Man last saw her. Sunlight fell through the small mess of trees, landing on her blade.

“Much like the Hero’s Spirit,” the Old Man said, “she is passed down from Hero to Hero.”

Link stared at the sword, something akin to wonder filled his eyes. “Wow…”

“Now, go and pull her,” the Old Man instructed.

“What?!”

“You are the Hero,” the Old Man said, “and she is your sword. She will fill you with great power, courage, and wisdom—skills passed down through the many Heroes.”

Link looked down at his hands, wringing his fingers. “I… don’t know. I fought Ganon with just my Magical Sword…”

“Well,” the Old Man said, “yes, you did.”

“I don’t mean to insult you, Old Man,” Link said, “but I don’t think I’m ready to pull that sword.”

The Old Man placed a calloused hand on Link’s shoulder. “Of course, dear Hero. You can come back when you’re ready. She’s very patient. She understands. But know, you’re the only one able to pull her. You’re the only one able to use her power. Remember that. No matter what anyone says: you’re stronger than you know.”

“Thank you, Old Man.”

“Now, wanna here a story about the Hero of Legends? I know him, you know. You could say that I know him as well as I know myself.”

“Yes!”

“Good. Now, remember, if you ever meet him one day, tell him to put on some pants!”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
